HELP! Redmi Note 9s Back Camera Not Working After Update

[Steve Tosh]

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Hey fellow Redmi Note 9s users and tech geeks!
Merry Christmas in arrears and Happy New Year in Advance. I'm reaching out in desperate need of some assistance. After the latest update (xiaomi.eu_multi_HMNote9Pro_HMNote9S_V14.0.4.0.SJWMIXM, uploaded on Dec; 04) on my Redmi Note 9s, my back camera has completely stopped working!
Before the update, everything was functioning perfectly. Now, when I try to open the camera app, it

• Opens to a black screen, showing no image from the back camera.

I've tried all the basic troubleshooting steps:

• Restarted my phone countless times (of course! )
• Cleared the camera app cache and data (hoping it was just a hiccup) ️
• Booting into Safe Mode to see if any third-party app was causing the issue (nope, nada) ️
• Double-checking that I haven't accidentally disabled the camera in any settings menus (still enabled! )

Unfortunately, nothing seems to work. I'm feeling pretty lost and missing my camera dearly for capturing those precious moments of the season!
So, here's my plea to the tech wizards and Redmi Note 9s gurus:

• Has anyone else experienced this issue after the latest update? ‍‍
• Do you have any magical fixes or hidden knowledge I haven't tried yet? ‍
• Should I just start planning a trip to the service center? (hoping not!)

Any advice, suggestions, or commiserating comments would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance for your help!